The present invention relates generally to apparatus for making slot closure wedges for magnetic stator cores of dynamo-electric machines at a station where coils and wedges are axially injected into axial slots of such cores; and more particularly to apparatus for controlling the length of such wedges where such wedges are formed into a desired shape by rollers and fed by pinch roller action to a wedge cutting mechanism.
Numerous patents in the art illustrate methods and apparatus wherein wedges are made in a wedgemaker, placed in a wedge magazine disposed generally collinearally with axially extending coil injection blades or tools, and wherein the wedges subsequently are inserted axially into stator core slots along the trailing ends of stator coils that are also being axially inserted into such slots. The wedges then lie between adjacent side-turn portions of different winding phases, or sometimes lie adjacent to the bore of the stator and overlie the side-turn portions of the last to be inserted winding phase. When the wedges are adjacent to the bore of the stator, they effectively "close" such slots. A number of prior patents related to the type of apparatus just generally described are referred to and discussed in the above identified copending applications of Pieper and Koenig.
The Pieper and Koenig applications themselves relate, inter alia, to improvements in equipment wherein the shape of wedges is determined by a rolling action and the wedge material is fed by the operation of pinch feedrollers.
The equipment illustrated in the herein above referenced Pieper application and Koenig application is capable of feeding different pre-determined lengths of wedge material so that wedges of different pre-determined lengths may be provided. However, in both the Pieper and Koenig equipment, before the wedge length can be changed; it is necessary to stop the equipment, loosen a wrist pin, adjust a screw so as to change the affective "crank arm" of a slider mechanism at a drive cam assembly; and thereafter retighten the wrist pin to prevent slippage between the end of the main drive rod and the input of an unidirectional clutch. Moreover, when adjustments have been made as just described in the Koenig and Pieper equipment, it is necessary to actually check the length of wedges produced after an adjustment has been made, and then perhaps repeat the adjustment procedure in order to "fine tune" the relative positions of the adjusted parts before a pre-determined length of wedge having dimensions within an acceptable tolerance can be produced.
It would be desirable to improve the Koenig equipment and the Pieper equipment (discussed in the above incorporated by reference applications) so that changes in wedge length may be affected without requiring the manual manipulation or adjustment of adjusting and lock screws. Moreover, it would be even more desirable to be able to provide means and methods whereby equipment basically similar to that of Koenig and that of Pieper could be adjusted to provide wedges of different pre-determined lengths while the equipment continues to be energized. In addition, it would be desirable to provide new and improved apparatus whereby equipment of the basic type shown in the above referenced Koenig application and the above referenced Pieper application could be automatically adjusted to provide wedges of different pre-determined lengths.